September 2008

September 13, 2008

The second half of the day was very busy. I did an interview for one of
the main TV stations in Japan, then I took part in a kids’ clinic with
my racket sponsor Yonex.

I was touched that some of the children wished me “good luck” in the
tournament in English. I feel very comfortable in Japan, because
everyone is so friendly and supportive. The Japanese are fantastic
people – so easy to get along with.

Then after the hitting session, which was at a big hotel complex, I
went to a cocktail party and met some Yonex customers. They were also
so welcoming.

There was a presentation showing pictures from my childhood, and a special surprise message from Monica Seles. It was touching.

Talking of rackets, I have a new one! Yonex have made a slightly
lighter racket for me, which helps because I can get a little more head
speed. It’s a new design too, which I really like.

According to the Yonex website the new racquet is the RQiS 1 Tour XL, which will be released at the end of September.

Boo. I miss the red and black. The new design is blue and lime (chosen by Ana), same 95 inch head but it looks to be 30 grams lighter. No word on the balance yet, which is always my favorite spec. And yes, Ana will be using the new racquet at the PPO this week.

A new racquet that will allow her to generate even more headspeed? That's frightening. I have the RQiS 1 (I superstitiously bought it 15 minutes before the Indian Wells final -- it worked!) and I have to say that stick is frickin heavy AND head light. I've always wondered how Ana was able to generate the power and control from that racquet. Actually, the control is easy but there is zero power in that racquet. The power has to be 100% generated by the player, which to me, was always a testament to Ana's strength and mechanics. Compared to the racquets used by other tour players the RQiS 1 is quite the anomaly. It's the heaviest(11.9 oz) and most head light (9 pts) of any racquet used by the other top 10 WTA tour players (this is based on factory specs of course).

Darren Rovell over at CNBC has neverhiddenhisloveforBaby Elephant. So here's an interesting report on Ana's potential clothing and shoe deal. While AI is sponsored by Adidas, her contract runs out in 2009 and her management company is already shopping her around:

The plan that has been pitched, according to those who have seen the proposals, is a lifetime deal. Lifetime
deals in the industry are typically deals that run to what is projected
to be the end of the athlete's playing career. In this case, it's
believed that what's being shopped around to Ivanovic's next shoe and
apparel suitor is a 10-year guarantee with the potential for Ivanovic
to earn additional money in her post-career life as a brand
spokesperson.

The goal, insiders say, is for Ivanovic to
have the ability to earn $10 million in some years from this brand if
she plays in most tournaments, becomes No. 1 in the world and
consistently wins. If that happens, the contract could be the most
lucrative endorsement in the history of women's sports.

The challenge will be for her management team to get as much of that guaranteed as possible.

One
source told CNBC that adidas is willing to play on the lifetime deal
requirement at around $3.5 million a year for every year she satisfies
the minimum playing requirements. Bonuses, it's said, could boost the
deal to $5.5 million a year. That number could rise if Team Ivanovic
agrees to renew well before the contract is up.

Sources said Nike has at least expressed
initial interest. The company is committed to quite a stable of stars
including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. And any doubts that Maria
Sharapova's recent injury would give her less status with the Swoosh
were put out when Nike's Cole Haan announced this week that it would be
using Sharapova to launch its Cole Haan Sporting line next year.

If
there's a slot to fill, it could be the one that could come vacant if
recent U.S. Open champ Serena Williams doesn't extend her contract with
the brand. Williams' current contract could have been worth up to $56
million over five years, but fell way short due to Williams' inability
to always stay at the top of her game. The fact that Nikehasn't
used her in much of its advertising over the years could hint that they
won't pony up much of a guarantee for a player who will turn 27 in a
couple of weeks.

It's believed Ivanovic has a third suitor, which could be a Chinese company like Li-Ning, Peak and Anta.

More
than two million Chinese play tennis at least twice a week, with the
number expected to reach six million by 2010, according to figures
released by the State General Administration of Sport in China. The
administration also says that among people between the ages of 15 to
25, tennis is the second most played sport behind basketball.

Any
brand that is willing to pay a big guarantee has to believe that
Ivanovic can stay consistent. She lost to the No. 188th player in the
world in the second round of the Open this year. It was the biggest
upset to a women's No. 1 since 1975. They also have to believe that she
has crossover appeal, which isn't that hard to research. She has 4.1
million Google hits and pictures of her, including one from a new shoot
with FHM, are all over the Web.

The other value her management team can sell is her web site.There
is no athlete in the entire sporting landscape who has a more updated
site that that Ivanovic, who is giving her thoughts to her fans at
least every couple of days. The site gets an impressive 900,000 unique
users a month, which is extremely high for an individual athlete web
site.

Update:
One source told CNBC that adidas is willing to play on the lifetime
deal requirement at around $3.5 million a year for every year she
satisfies the minimum playing requirements. Bonuses, it's said, could
boost the deal to $5.5 million a year. That number could rise if Team
Ivanovic agrees to renew well before the contract is up. But, if those
numbers are accurate, adidas might lose out in the battle for Ivanovic.

It's no secret that Adidas is pretty sorry when it comes to outfitting Ana. But would AI be willing to leave Adidas when Sven is still contracted with them? That's an interesting question and I wonder if Adidas' reported $3.5-5.5M offer is so low because they don't think she'd leave. Stupid gamble by Adidas though. Without Justine and Ana they don't have any premier women's tennis players, unless they're banking on Dinara Safina, A-Chak, and Peppermint Patty to carry the brand. Uh, no.

To me, the only way AI leaves Adidas is if she moves to Nike. I can't see her signing with some of those third tier brands. While it would make sense from a monetary standpoint, it would be insane from a branding perspective. Signing with those third tier brands would be saying goodbye to the U.S. market and focusing instead on Europe and Asia. Not sure that's the smartest way to go.

Either way, it's likely that AI will end up with a fairly low base deal that is heavily weighed towards performance incentives. The fact is that that the girl has yet to prove that she can provide consistent results that would warrant a triple digit deal on its face. It's a shame that her Adidas contract is up in 2009. If it was up in 2010 she would have a full season to prove herself to both her sponsors and herself. As it is, both sides will be taking a risk.

The ATP has officially cleared Nikolai Davydenko of any wrongdoing with respect to its initial suspicions that he may have fixed a match last summer. It must be great news for Kolya, as he has been having to play under this cloud for a year now. Unfortunately, as we all know, it'll still be brought up by commentators everytime he plays.

I actually like Kolya. He has a solid game (not a top 5 game but a solid game), he's pretty quiet and no-nonsense, and he seems not to take himself too seriously.

The 2009 Fed Cup Draw has been released by the ITF. It's really weird to see Argentina in the World Group. I can't wait until 2010 when Serbia (hopefully) gets slotted in the World Group. That would make Fed Cup damn fun. Do I see a Serbia/Russia final in 2010? Here's hoping.

2008 World Group

Russia (1)(c) v. China P.R.

Italy (3) v. France (c)

Argentina v. USA (4)(c)*

Czech Republic (c) v. Spain (2)

Key(c) = choice of ground(*) = choice of ground decided by lot

Incidentally, if Lindsay and the Williamses don't play Fed Cup next
year, is there any way that the US stays in the World Group? I'm
sorry, but if you're relying on Ahsha Rolle, Vania King, and Bethanie
Mattek to win the singles ties (we should be good on doubtles with
Huber/Black) you're not relying on much. To me, Argentina, the U.S.,
and China are the bubble for next year.

2008 World Group II

Belgium (1) v. Slovak Repubic (c)

Germany (4) v. Switzerland (c)*

Serbia (c)* v. Japan (3)

Ukraine (c)* v. Israel (2)

Obviously Serbia looks like the class of the World Group, with Slovakia looking strong as well (Dani. H., Cibulkova, Benesova). It's also a VERY generous draw for the Serbs, as they'll be able to fly immediately home to Serbia after the AO instead of having to fly to Japan.

The first round ties will be played February 7-8, immediately after the AO.

Defending champ Gilles Simon, Reeshard "I'm not" Gasquet, Carlos Moya, and Jose Acasuso are into the semifinals of the Bucharest tournament, which is played on clay. Simon will play Acasuso and Gasquet will take on Moya.

How's this for a mind-boggling stat: Reeshard has never beaten Moya. He's 0-2 with the losses coming on hard court and clay. That's just...weird to me.

As a matter of fact, yes, there is are some tournaments going on this week. The Tier III Bali tournament will see a Final Four of Dani H., Peppermint Patty, Drag Queen Nadia Petrova, and the somewhat resurgent Tamira Pazcek. Pazcek beat number three seed Flava Flav today 46 60 62. Did Flavia just run out of gas? She sure has been playing a lot of tennis lately.

So Saturday's semifinal will pit Nadia vs. Patty and Dani vs. Tamira. Nice to see Dani get deep into a tournament. Maybe that foot is finally healed and she can make it to the final to defend her points from last year, where she lost to Lindsay in the final.

September 11, 2008

Nike has launched a new campaign designed to encourage young European women and girls to participate in sports. The campaign is called "Here I Am" and Maria (who, let's face it, is arguably European at this point) is the face of it. According to the press release:

In the five animated films Nike shares the
stories of famous Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova whose critics
have unwittingly fueled her success, Italian triple jumper Simona La
Mantia who
found her strength in what she thought was her greatest weakness, Swiss
triathlete Nicola Spirig who thrives in apocalyptic weather conditions,
400M sprinter from the UK Nicola Sanders whose animated body parts show us the age-old
struggle between mind and body and French Judoka Delphine Delsalle who
defeats a multitude of disapproving opponents yet retains her
femininity.

So here is the artsy, if somewhat ambiguous spot on our Masha.

So you too can be a tennis megastar if you abandon your mother and your homeland to fly across the world and train in the United States and overcome the harsh accusations that you're "Too Pretty".

Sign on up, ladies!

All kidding aside, I am all in favor of any campaign that encourages sports participation among young girls. It's so important to the development of their self-esteem, self-worth, respect for their bodies, and confidence. So good on you, Nike!

Not surprising. Like I said, Venus' goal was to win Wimbly. Everything else is just gravy. Tough with her withdrawal from Tokyo it will be interesting to see if she even qualifies for the YEC. I wouldn't be surprised if she took the rest of the year off.

It's a darn shame though. As of right now Tokyo has had a Grand Slam grade entry list with the entire Top 20 scheduled to play except for Masha, Bepa, Patty, Vika, and Ski Boots.

But I would expect that Serena, Lena, and possibly Dinara will withdraw from Tokyo. They played the Olympics (deep into the Olympics for Lena and Dinara), deep into the USO, and Lena is playing Fed Cup this weekend in Spain. Dinara may be gunning for ranking points so I could see her playing Tokyo but if you play Tokyo you're probably going to play Beijing the following week, and then Moscow two weeks later. That's quite the haul for players that have already complained of being exhausted. Dinara already said her tank was empty in NYC, so if she and her team are smart they skip the Asia trip and focus on maybe Stuttgart, Moscow, maybe another small tourney, and then head into the YEC fairly fresh. That's quite the haul for players that have already complained of being exhausted.

Of course, JJ would play simultaneous tournaments if she could so I wouldn't rule her out of Tokyo. Besides, I think she's looking forward to her another rematch with Ana and take a shot at getting that monkey off her back.

UPDATED: During Serena's visit to Regis and Kelly she said that her next tournaments will be Stuttgart and then the YECs (smart!). I think she also said in her presser that her next tournaments will be in Europe, so it's clear that she's skipping Asia.

I've also gone back to check individual player web sites and Ana, JJ, Lena, Dinara, and Caro all still list it as their next tournament.

Sveta has withdrawn because she's been tapped to play the Fed Cup final.

Not surprisingly, Baby Elephant has the same reaction as I do to the WTA Roadmap:

“It’s for sure very exciting for everyone involved in women’s tennis to
have more events where the top players play against each other more
often,” she said. “This is a big motivation for me, because it’s what I
enjoy most.

“I’m also very grateful for the increase in prize money, and I think it
shows how well women’s tennis is doing. And I’m definitely looking
forward to playing in the new stadiums,” said Ana, who hit the first ball at the “Caja Magica” in Madrid last year when it still resembled a building site.

“What I’m not so much of a fan of is the weeks that some of the
tournaments have been placed in. For example, in May I might have to
play three tournaments in a row on clay, if I enter Stuttgart. And if I
don’t enter Stuttgart, I have to play the Australian Open, then Fed
Cup, then Paris, which is very tough.

“Having a longer off-season will definitely help, and that’s what I
like most about this new calendar. Three extra weeks at the end of a
busy year – I am looking forward to it already!”

The 20-year-old abhors the threat of suspensions for missed
tournaments. “It makes no sense,” she said. “You should not be
suspended if you are injured. But I can see that there are currently
problems with some players withdrawing from tournaments, so they need
to protect against that.”

About on-court coaching, which will be available to the players at
every Tour event next year, Ana said: “I have mixed feelings about
this. For sure it can help, and it’s helped me in some matches in the
past, just the chance to talk to my coach and maybe calm down and think
more clearly. But this is a little bit of a dangerous step, because now
we can use it at all events, but not the Grand Slams. There’s a risk
that we will become used to it, but we can’t use it in the most
important tournaments.”

The suspensions thing is just utter BS. That's all I'll say about that.

"Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'."

Bobby knows best. Who knew that his song of revolution could be used to describe the 2008 Slam season for the boys?

Biggest Statement Grand Slam Win

Nole's historic win at the Australian Open was what we call in the literary world "foreshadowing". Not only did Nole become the first Serbian to win a Grand Slam, he also ended Roger Federer's streak of 10 straight Grand Slam Finals. On his way to the title, Nole plowed through a solid field, not dropping a set until the final:

vs. Becker: 60 62 76(5)

vs. Bollelli: 61 62 62

vs. Querrey: 63 61 63

vs. Hewitt: 75 63 63

vs. Ferrer: 60 63 75

vs. Federer: 75 63 76(5)

vs. Tsonga: 46 64 63 76(2)

Nole's win, in the first Slam of the year, would signal the winds of change. All of a sudden discussions of Federer's deterioration began out of nowhere, and the Fed/Rafa monopoly on the ATP elite was busted up by the brash young Serb. He became a man to watch and for the most part he would continue his stellar play throughout the year, the only hiccup being his early round loss to Safin at Wimbly. But with his win in Melbourne, Nole's coming out party officially began (whether people liked it or not).

Most Dominant Grand Slam Win in 2008

What can be said of Rafa's fourth straight Roland Garros run? The kid isn't slowing down and Roland Garros showed everyone that he's only getting better. He showed off his stronger serve and willingness to play more offensively, hitting his shots flat when needed and attacking the net to terminate points. I think the scoreline of the final against Federer says it all: 61 63 60. I mean, come on.

Need more evidence? Here's the rest of his road to the title:

vs. Bellucci: 75 63 61

vs. Devilder: 64 60 61

vs. Niemenen: 61 63 61

vs. Verdasco: 61 60 62

vs. Almagro: 61 61 61

vs. Djokovic: 64 62 76(3)

The Most [Insert Superlative of Choice] Grand Slam Win of 2008

After Rafa's heartbreaking five set loss to Roger in the 2007 Wimbledon final, he reportedly cried for a long time in the shower, trying to hide his heartbreak from everyone. He wanted the Wimbledon trophy so badly and this year, Rafa was all business coming into SW19. Immediately after winning his fourth straight title at RG, Rafa hopped on the train and headed to Queens, where in the week after RG he beat Karlovic, Roddick, and Nole on his way to his first grass title. This was his warning shot to Federer: "I'm coming for you."

But despite his win at RG and Queens, people still had doubts as to whether he could win on grass. Meanwhile, whispers about Fed's decline took a backseat during this fortnight, where Fed seemed to be right at home and appeared dominant on grass once again.

But Rafa had learned from his 2007 loss and played the final with the same tenacity and aggressiveness as at Roland Garros. No longer did we see Rafa scurrying from side to side from 4 feet behind the baseline, content to play defense. All of sudden Rafa was going for shots, hitting flatter when the situation called for it, and importantly, rushing the net to put pressure on Roger. It took everything he had to beat Roger, who played with the heart of a lion while trying with all his might to hold onto the trophy that for so long had been engraved with his name before he even stepped on the Wimbly grass. You could see Roger willing himself to win, willing himself to rise above Rafa, willing himself to white knuckle that trophy for as long as he could.

But it was fitting that the final shot of this epic final ended with Roger dumping a short forehand into the net. The shot that for so long had been the bedrock of his game has left him from time to time throughout this year. Let's face it, it was a shame anyone had to lose this final. But who can say they were sad or disappointed that Rafa, after all his hard work and effort, didn't deserve to walk away with his teeth on that trophy.

vs. Beck: 64 64 76(0)

vs. Gulbis: 57 62 76(2) 63

vs. Kiefer: 76(3) 62 63

vs. Youzhny: 63 63 61

vs. Murray: 63 62 64

vs. Schuettler: 62 76(3) 64

vs. Federer: 64 64 67(5) 67(8) 97

Rafa's win, combined with Nole's win at AO, were proof that the times they were a changin'. These are Slams that Roger had owned in spectacular fashion for four years. In particular, Rafa's win over Roger in Wimbledon solidified in most people's minds, that Rafa was now the best player in the world, despite what the rankings said.

Most Heartwarming Grand Slam Win of 2008

A year ago, who would have thought that Roger Federer winning yet another Grand Slam final, his fifth straight US Open title in fact, would be "heartwarming". Definitely not me. But his win at the US Open was precisely that. During a fortnight where his game was off, he lacked confidence at times, tightened up at times, and had to fight his way through the field to take the title, we learned a lot about The Mighty Fed. We learned that when he was not mighty with his racquet or his legs, he was always mighty of heart. In fact, that's what this year taught us. Sure, his game may be off (and for a guy who plays with such precision, "a little off" goes a long way), but the quality of his spirit, his love of the game, and his competitive drive just can't be denied. And this is a scary thing because those qualities aren't going to diminish. They will get him at least another four slams before his career is said and done. Well done to him.

September 09, 2008

This post started as a quasi-year end wrap up, but as I got into it I realized (a) the year's not over this is stupid, (b) this post is going to be really long and I'm lazy, and (c) there's a lot to be said about the Slams that I haven't said yet. So here we go.

I mean, for all the wailing and rending of garments that occurred
throughout this season in light of Justine's retirement, don't you
think the Grand Slam winners fit the bill for a solid season? If you take out Justine, these are the four players that were expected to have solid seasons and dominate the game. Unfortunately they just couldn't figure out how to play at their best at the same time. Nevertheless, this was as good a set of results as we could hope for this year.

The Most Dominant Grand Slam Performance of 2008

Masha bursts out of the gate after a horrific 2007 season and
demolishes the field to win her third Grand Slam. Let's look back and
refresh our memories as to what exactly Masha did in Melbourne:

vs. Kostanic-Tosic: 64 63

vs. Davenport: 61 63

vs. Vesnina: 63 60

vs. Dementieva: 62 60

vs. Henin: 64 60

vs. Jankovic: 63 61

vs. Ivanovic: 75 63

I mean, holy crap! This is to me, the most dominant and overwhelming
performance of the year. No doubt about it. Look at those scores and
look at the quality of opponent.

The Most Heartwarming Grand Slam Win of 2008

Baby Elephant finds redemption and the #1 ranking on her way to her
maiden title at Roland Garros. She already had a solid season heading
into RG, reaching the finals at AO and winning the biggest title of her
career at Tier I Indian Wells. But all the questions about her being "too
nice" to win a Slam quickly went away (at least temporarily) after she
steadied herself to defeat her compatriot in the semis to take the #1
ranking. As Mary Carillo remarked in an astonished tone after AI
ripped that inside out forehand winner to get match point, "She's
playing like the number one player in the world right now." And then,
against the resurgent Baby Beluga, Baby Elephant again kept her cool
and her head in check to take the title. How poetic and fitting that
the women who had destroyed her in her first Slam final would be there
to hand the trophy and the crown to her this year.

vs. Arvidsson: 62 75

vs. Safarova: 61 62

vs. Wozniaki: 64 61

vs. Cetkovska: 60 60

vs. Schnyder: 63 62

vs. Jankovic: 64 36 64

vs. Safina: 64 63

The Most Destined Grand Slam Win of 2008

When the trophy bears your name, you have to think that destiny is
involved. And for Venus, she showed once again that when her feet
touch the grass at SW19, all bets are off. Though she didn't drop a set she wasn't exactly dominant, being pushed by a few no-names. But she was serving bullets and covering the grass with gazelle-like
grace and speed. Her only real challenge would come at the hands of her
sister in the final. Serena was playing better coming into the final,
but big sister had the mental edge on grass and when things got tight,
so did Serena. Venus showed great grace and class in her victory.
That can't be said about Serena in her loss, but hey, that loss stoked
the fire that carry her through New York. As for Venus, she did what
she set out to do, win Wimbledon for the fifth time. The rest of the
season is just gravy.

vs. Cavaday: 76(5) 61

vs. Keothavong: 75 62

vs. Martinez-Sanchez: 61 75

vs. Kleybanova: 63 64

vs. Tanasugarn: 64 63

vs. Dementieva: 61 76(3)

vs. Serena: 75 64

The Most Business-Like Grand Slam Win of 2008

Under the spotlight, on the biggest stage, Serena just knows what to do. She had already won "The Fifth Slam" in Miami in dominant fashion, bageling Justine on the way. But that early success in March didn't translate to major success afterwards, as she suffered a shock third round loss to Srebotnik at RG and a heartbreaking loss to Venus at Wimbledon. But despite the disappointment (or because of it) she came into the US Open with purpose, calm, and hunger. She just seemed in a better place physically and emotionally compared to years past.

Negative Rena never showed up in NYC (remember her ridiculously negative body language at AO, Miami, RG, and Wimbly?). Instead, Serena stayed positive throughout, even when the Glitter Queen was driving her nuts in the final and when her big sis had double digit set points against her in the semi. Serena just stayed calm, took a deep breath, slowed things down, and went about her business. With her last chance to do it this year, Serena finally got that trophy and the top ranking that she so rightfully deserved through most of year.

vs. Bondarenko: 61 64

vs. Vesnina: 61 61

vs. Sugiyama: 62 61

vs. Bremond: 62 62

vs. Venus: 76(6) 76(7)

vs. Safina: 63 62

vs. Jankovic: 64 75

So with all the twists and turns of the year, we head into the final sprint to the YECs with the WTA in good shape. We obviously can't forget the solid year that JJ has had, or the
resurgence of Dinara and Lena D. in the second half of the season. And
how about the new kids on the block, Ski Boots and Cornetto. Serena is #1, Venus won Wimbly, and the Serbs and the Russians will probably duke it out to straighten out the rest of the rankings. Lots to
look forward to.

To all the Crazy Elf fans (I'm looking at you, gauloises), you'll get your JMDP fix soon. I think this is the more interesting matchup. Can Igor continue his solid run through the hard court season and transfer that onto his favorite surface? Watching him play Fed, didn't you get the sense that he was the Russian Rafa? Ohh! New nickname alert! This tie will be very competitive, but based on that lineup, I'm going to have to go with Russian.

This one is going to be a blowout, folks. I mean, do you REALLy see Andy Roddick and Sam Querrey taking two matches over Rafa and Dahveed on clay? Please. Heck, you wonder if it would have been smarter to take Blake simply because the guy plays risky big shot tennis and can hit through the court. Sure he misses, but what if he doesn't? What about Robby Ginepri or Wayne Odesnik? Both had outstanding runs at RG.

Nah. The Yankees are toast here no matter what. The defense of the Davis Cup ends here.

So Maria is apparently back in NYC to announce her new partnership with Cole Haan Sporting, a line of sporty clothes for Cole Haan (C Note note: For you ladies who would rather wear Nike's then Manolos, seriously, check out the Cole Haan Air collection. They're really really cute heels that incorporate Nike's Air techology. SO comfy!).

The Sporting line, which will include 40 casual styles for women and
30 for men, will carry ballet-style Mary Janes, elevated wedges and
sandals in fuschia, orange and cobra for women and boat shoes and
lace-ups for men in bold and neutral shades. Prices will range from
$115 to $200. Between the colors, styling and Ms. Sharapova’s
association, the line is meant to appeal to a young, active and
fashion-conscious consumer.

“I’m not coming into the company to make the Maria pump,” she says. “I’m there to add that really young touch and flavor to it.”

Damn it! I would so rock me some Maria pumps to court.

But of no bum shoulder is going to hold her back from visiting some shows, too. Pics of Masha, Venus, and Serena at Fashion Week below.

And can I just say it again? Rehab is doing the Masha VERY GOOD.Fierce!

Aww...cute!

Just keeping the seat warm for Fed I see.

Not sure if this is at Fashion Week or Madame Tussaud's.

I'm going to burn in hell but I can't help it. Sometimes, when Serena dresses up, she looks like a drag queen. And I live in the Castro so I KNOW me some drag queens.

SuperGirl Dani (constipated?)Seriously, Dani is gorgeous, but she needs to learn how to work what she's got. Walking like your arms are taped to your side is not sexy. It's awkward just looking at her.

They are scheduled to show the Sharapova vs Obziler tie at 1:30pm EST today (Tuesday). This is the infamous "grunting match" where the Israeli crowd tried to get in Pova's head by grunting whenever she hit the ball. Oh, Israel. That's so cute. Did you really think that was going to throw the Pova off? She destroyed Tzipi 60 64. Masha (who looked awesome in her red and white Nike gear) would then turn around the next day and take Shahar Peer, who famously egged on the Israeli crowd, behind the shed and beat her 61 61. After the match Masha put her finger to her lips and shushed the crowd and then told Peer at the net that she should've learned her lesson from the day before. Tennis Channel will be showing this match at 1:30pm EST on Wednesday.

God I miss her. So much.Finally, on Thursday at 1:30 EST, Tennis Channel will delight us in a replay of the Chakky/Obziler match, also known as the "When Chak Attacks!" match. The crowd rained down on A-Chak and she gave as good as she got, screaming maniacally at the crowd after each winner she hit. It was insane.

All these matches are worth watching so tune in, folks. They're also showing the China/Spain Fed Cup ties at 4:00pm EST throughout the week.

The Fed Cup Final starts on Saturday and TTC will be airing it live starting at 8am EST on Saturday and 6am EST on Sunday.

So Serena gains the #1 ranking but only by a 126 points. All of the top 5 players are still within shooting distance of each other heading into the fall season and the YEC. Ana is in the toughest position, as she has the most points to defend in the coming months. She has the Luxembourg title (270) and the semis of the YECs (335). Serena (410), JJ (475), and Lena (575) will also have to work to keep their numbers up. Dinara is in the best position with the fewest number of points to defend (205). All that being said, logic tells you that Baby Elephant is well-rested and chomping at the bit to reestablish herself and her game. Since she turned pro in 2004, she has ended the year with a higher rank than when she started. She'll need to finish at least at #3 to keep that trend going. All in all, it should be a fun sprint to the finish line.

I will be absolutely elated if Ski Boots makes the YEC. She has a chance to do it, too. Masha is likely out with injury. Bepa reportedly has a wrist injury that could effect her play. Who knows how Venus will do going forward. The real X factor is Kuzzie. Could it be that we could see a YEC without her? Quite possible given her recent level of play. Of course, Caro would also have to hold off Patty, Flav, and Cone to make it happen. And with the Race rankings so tight (less than 100 points separate Boots and Cone), each tournament matters.

Stop the presses! Just when you thought (or at least a few thought) the book on The Mighty Fed had been written and sent off to the printers, a new chapter must be written (not an epilogue, mind you) wherein a new plot-altering character is introduced in glorious form. And that character is none other than The Mighty Fed's awesome alter ego, Crazy Eyez Fed.Because let's face it. Throughout this tournament, though TMF made a few cameo appearances, it was Crazy Eyez Fed that propelled the Swiss Superstar to his 5th straight US Open title, and first (and only) Slam title of the 2008 season. This was a title that was won more out of pure guts and guile than it was sublime shotmaking and precision. The Beautiful Balanced Baryshnikov has been replaced (for the time being I suppose) with a crasser, uglier Fed, who lunged, scurried, and fought both his opponents, but more himself, to victory. And TMF knew it, which is why he gave his alter ego a kiss after all was said and done:Hee.

As for Muzzah, he will regret not bringing another eye-opening performance to the big stage against Fed. He will also lose countless nights of sleep over his failure to challenge that ball that was clearly out on break point in the second set. He will toss and turn much like Nole did after he lost his tight final against TMF last year where he had set points and couldn't covert. Or like Baby Elephant, who couldn't get the sight of her ill-advised drop shot in the first set of the AO final against Masha. Or like Rafa did after he lost the 2007 Wimbledon final. Or like Serena, who rued her choke job against Venus in this year's Wimbly. This loss will eat at him to the point where he may be driven to take his first drink of the Devil's Punch. And he will come out of it all a better player who is destined to win Slams. Because if it doesn't eat at you, you (a) never really wanted it the first place or (b) you never really believed you could win. I don't think Murray falls in either category. That he proved over the course of this fortnight.

But let's get back to the real story. All credit to Crazy Eyez Fed. This one meant the world to him. He was clearly a step slower than in years past and the confidence in
his groundstrokes came and went as each game went by. But his heart
cannot be questioned. He is absolutely the Swiss Lion, as truthfully
advertised. He left no doubt about that:Doesn't he kind of look like Luke Skywalker in Empire when the Emporer goes all electric on him? Feels so good it hurts, huh?

"It’s opened my eyes not to be judgmental and to each his own. Whatever
makes you happy. By having other interests, maybe you won’t get burned
out as quickly.”

-- Chris Evert re Serena US Open win. Evert wrote a controversial "Open Letter" to Serena two years ago wherein she worried that her non-tennis pursuits were taking away from her ability to dominate the game.

September 07, 2008

Q. Okay. Out there on court you're sighing, you're smiling,
you're laughing. You said that your personality suites this tournament.
What's the one thing in your personality that clicks with this
tournament?

JELENA JANKOVIC: You know what? You know, I got
the trophy here, and you know what I was thinking? Because you guys or
the commentators said all about this drama and all this, I thought, you
know, I should have gotten an Oscar for all this drama throughout the
week. Despite, you know, getting a trophy, I should have gotten, you
know, a trophy for the acting, for my drama.

I think I've done a great job.

Q. Maybe best supporting actress?

JELENA JANKOVIC: Best ‑‑ no, the leading role, you know. The best one. (laughter.) I enjoy the crowd and I have fun.

---

Q. During changeovers when a lot of players are very focused, you're looking at the TV screen.

JELENA JANKOVIC: I was laughing at all these people dancing.

Q. Is that something you do to relax?

JELENA
JANKOVIC: Probably that's why I lost, the concentration, and made all
these double faults. I probably ‑‑ that's why I made all these mistakes
when I shouldn't have.

I don't know. I just ‑‑ you know, I had fun. I think they should turn it off, because I keep looking at the screen. (laughter.)

Q. Did you really not know how much the runner‑up check is?

JELENA JANKOVIC: No, I didn't. So now I have a lot of money to spend. (laughter.) Tomorrow is my day to go shopping.

Q.
Mary Carrillo said that you enjoyed watching television, especially
when you're on television. Do you have any thoughts about that?

JELENA JANKOVIC: What television? Who?

Q. The TV screen.

JELENA
JANKOVIC: Oh, I keep watching, because you go to serve and you see your
big face up there. You cannot help it to look up. No, I think they
should turn it off, you know. I cannot focus, because I keep looking at
it. I don't know why. Just the ‑‑ but you see it. You watch straight,
and then your eyes just go up, because you know there's something going
up on top.

But it's ‑‑ whatever. It's just fun.

Q.
You said in the past that your mother obviously has a hard time
sometimes with, you know, what goes on out there. What did she say to
you afterwards?

JELENA JANKOVIC: Actually, I haven't even
seen her. You know, I don't know where she is now. I just received a
vaccine, you know, so that's the first thing I've done, receive the
needle in my arm and some more torture.

You know, it's ‑‑ you
think it's easy being a professional athlete, what we go through? You
would feel a little bit sorry for us. (laughter.)

---

Q. What was the vaccine for?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't
know. It's ‑‑ all these women, I guess, for papilloma. I don't know
what it is. I have no idea. I took three. You have to take three
vaccines per year, and then women under 26 years old, I guess that's
the time when you're supposed to take it and then you're free.

Q. After the championship match of the US Open you got this?

JELENA
JANKOVIC: I just got it. Here. It's here. I have a Band‑Aid. I have to
do the doping test now, so I have another Band‑Aid here. I cannot even
go to the toilet, so I have to drink. (laughter.) I have to drink some
more, otherwise I'll be here until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and I
wouldn't feel good tomorrow for my shopping, which is not good.

But almost more importantly, was that an entertaining final or what? It was competitive, high quality tennis, beautiful shot making, and, well, a rollercoaster. And it was brought to you by none other than the Queen of all that is dramatic and glittery:Oh, JJ. God bless you. She is the only player on tour (quite possibly on either tour) who can smash an overhead into Serena, argue with the umpire, repeatedly do the splits, serve 80mph puff ball serves, laugh in the middle of points, watch herself on the Jumbotron after points while covered in a nice layer of body glitter, and STILL make a competitive match of it. That's our girl (though she and Nole need to get tips from Ana on how NOT to get booed by a crowd).

Let's be clear, Serena played really well. It wasn't the athleticism, power, and tenacity that she displayed against Venus but she was smart enough to know that it didn't have to be. Serena played well within herself and played a very contained VERY clean game. Throughout the match I marveled at the fact that Serena just wasn't missing. All JJ needed her to do was miss occasionally. But she didn't. And that's where my respect for Serena grew. She played a smart match. She played high percentage tennis because she knew that JJ couldn't beat her off the ground. JJ doesn't have any weapons that could hurt Serena. So all she had to do was stay calm, keep the ball in play until JJ left something short, and then crack it. She did, JJ did, and she did.

But in the end, I think that JJ gained a lot of respect tonight, not only from Serena but from tennis fans worldwide. The fact is, JJ showed she belonged in that elite group of women's players. She pushed Serena, stayed with her, scratched and clawed her way to stay in the match. If anything, tonight was more of a showcase of JJ's game rather than Serena's. Looking at the scoreline, I have no idea how in the world JJ kept it so close. But she did, and it's more a credit to her wit, guile, and fighting spirit than her actual game. All credit to her.

And so Serena finally gets the Slam that she so rightly deserved in 2008. And when the rankings come out tomorrow, Serena will sit atop the women's game at #1, as she so rightly should (JJ #2, AI #3, Lena #4, Dinara #5).

The next major tournament for the ladies is the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo which starts on September 16th.

It was bound to happen and it couldn't have happened against a better opponent.

It's fitting that on his way to his first Grand Slam final, Andy also has ascended to the #4 ranking during this tournament. Is there really any doubt that he is in fact the #4 player in the world? His awesome display of counterpunching against the ultimate counterpuncher was proof positive that Andy is on his way to breaking up the elite threesome and making it a foursome. He needed to beat Rafa in order to make it legit, and he did it in convincing fashion. Have you EVER seen Rafa doubled over in exhaustion as he did during the last game of the fourth? I was absolutely shocked!

Even if Rafa was fresh I don't think the result would have been different. Murray's game is pretty to watch when it's on, but positively pretentious when it's off. His drop shots, lazy striking, and cracking winners can be mesmerizing. At one point I wondered aloud to myself "Why don't more people play like this?"

Monday's final should be a cracker if Muzza brings his A game. He actually has a winning record against Fed, beating him earlier this year. If Fed is a step slow, which I think he still is, Andy has a very good shot. Fed's strategy has to be to rush the net to put pressure on Murray early. He'll also need to serve big, obviously.

Andy Murray came out firing today, taking his game to Rafa. To be honest, Murray's play made Rafa look like a chump, and the more I see the New and Improved Murray play, the more I absolutely love his game. I love the points where he lulls his opponents into a false sense of security and then unleashes a wicked forehand or backhand winner. Amazing stuff.

But even though Muzza won the first two sets, you get the sense that Rafa was starting to figure him out in the third set before the game was called for rain. So the biggest question is whether Rafa will benefit from the rain stoppage and come out tomorrow firing. Either way, Crazy Fed must be giggling in his hotel room, as these guys at a minimum have to play over two days, and at most, will have to grind out a five setter on Sunday only to turn around and play the final on Monday. Of course, with the fitness of these two I don't think it's that big of a deal.

I for one am entirely in favor of a Murray/Fed match. I think it would be fun. Then again, Rafa/Roger 3.0 would be a heck of a lot of fun too. Either way, tennis fans win.

This semifinal match will be played on Sunday, weather permitting, on Arthur Ashe (where it belongs) not before 4pm, which means it will be less than a 24 hour turnaround to the final for the winner (unfair!).

The women's final was also rained out on Saturday and has been rescheduled for 9pm EST on Sunday.

September 06, 2008

Congrats to Crazy Fed, who heads into his fifth straight US Open final (but notably, this is the first final for Crazy Eyez Fed). Two keys to this match: (1) Fed was serving bombs, thus holding fairly easily and (2) Nole just didn't want to be there.

Nole's mindset was understandable given the circumstances, but his performance was still disappointing. It wasn't that he played poorly per se. But he played with no intensity, which for him, is a death nail. Time to go home and regroup, kiddo. Luckily for him he doesn't have to step foot back in the States for a long, long, time.

It's really too bad, too. Because though Fed played well, he still looked beatable. Had Nole gone on to win this tournament he would have actually ascended to the #2 ranking, bumping Fed to #3.

And since it's Saturday and I'm feeling generous, here's another awesome Crazy Eyez Fed from today:Crazy Eyez Fed still scares me a little. Ok, a lot.

So I went to Indian Wells this year and got Nole, Ana, and JJ to sign tennis balls. All three balls are in a can that I carry with me in my tennis bag. I call it my Serbian Can o Whoop Ass.

But as most of you can tell, JJ had been losing favor with me as of late. It all started after RG, where I just didn't like her behavior and her attitude. I was also tremendously disapointed in her repeated failures to "earn" the #1 spot and silence the critics.

Q. What were you going to get a degree in when you almost made a mistake by going back to university?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. I'm not really thinking about that at the moment, you know.

I
didn't actually know what I wanted to study in the beginning. I'm only
in the second year, and in the third year I would really choose what I
want to study. But now I am focused on tennis. Little by little.

Q. Of course you are. What do you think it would have been?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. Off the court, I really love acting.

Q. You're pretty good at that.

JELENA JANKOVIC: Sure. I don't know. (laughter.)

I don't know. We'll see.

Q. In all your tries to get past the semifinal, what was the difference today?

JELENA
JANKOVIC: You know, actually, to be honest, this has been the first set
Grand Slam that I don't have any injuries, that I don't have any issues
bothering me.

It really takes off ‑‑ it really took me ‑‑ you
know, I wasn't thinking about, you know, tennis. I was thinking, Oh, my
God, this is hurting. This is bothering me. So I was really struggling
and really not playing my tennis and not thinking about my game.

And
now, first time, you know, this year, Grand Slam, I'm healthy and, you
know, I really want to do well. I'm really focused, I really believe in
myself, and I'm really going one match at a time.

I'm really trying my best out there, and so I'm motivated. So I'm happy to be in the final for the first time.

Q. That was a battle of mental strength today and you won it.

JELENA
JANKOVIC: Yeah, mentally, I feel I'm a lot stronger, because I really
believe in myself. I really want to do this, and, you know, I think
it's about time for me to make that step forward to break that barrier
and go a long way.

I want to win a Grand Slam, and this is why I
came here. Not having injuries, not having some problems, is giving me
a good opportunity to be here, so I'm really thankful for that.

Q.
In a strange way, have your physical problems helped you build mental
strength in the sense that you know that you can battle through that so
you could also battle through...

JELENA JANKOVIC: No, but
throughout the year I had all these different kinds of injuries,
because due to ‑‑ I didn't prepare well enough in the beginning of the
year. Actually, in the preseason I didn't prepare.

So I started
with a lot of injuries. It was like a chain, going from one injury to
another. I had some kind of bacteria for like three or four months
where I was blowing my nose the whole time and I couldn't breathe and
all these problems.

So of course when you're having some things
like that it's tough to be at the top of your level and really play
your tennis. You're really struggling with many things.

And now, you know, to knock on wood, you know, it's a miracle, for me to be here and to be healthy and to enjoy my tennis.

As
you could see, I'm really fighting out there. I'm really never giving
up. I'm really there until the last point. No matter what, I'm going to
really, until I ‑‑ until the last point I'm going to be there and I'm
going to try my best.

This is what has helped me propel through this tournament and helped me until now to come into the final.

Q. Can you take us through the injuries from the very beginning?

JELENA JANKOVIC: It's a long story. It's going to be a long story.

Q. Abbreviated version.

JELENA
JANKOVIC: Oh, my God. Actually, it all started in exhibition in Hopman
Cup. I injured my glut muscle. I don't know how you call that.

Q. Back side.

JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, in the back. Yeah.

Then
I had a back pain in Australian Open. Then I had ‑‑ I don't know what I
played afterwards. Then I got sick in Indian Wells really bad and was
sick for three or four months. I had some bacteria that they couldn't
‑‑ they didn't know how to get rid of it, and so my nose was running
the whole time. It was really bad in my throat and it was hard for me
to breathe.

Then French Open I had problem with my arm, you know.
My arm was like swollen, and since the second round of the tournament I
was struggling.

In Wimbledon, I made some movement and I had a
tear in my meniscus where they told me I went to have surgery and I'm
not going to play for a while. I recovered in three weeks, but it
really took me a long time, you know, to come back.

It was
amazing how my knee got weaker. Through Olympics and LA and Montreal I
was really out of shape. I couldn't move. I was not fast enough. I was
just ‑‑ it was hard for me.

And then finally now I'm really
working hard, you know, with my coach, with my fitness coach, really,
you know, taking care of every little detail. Even the food I'm eating,
I'm really taking care of everything, because all these little things
are going to make a big difference, especially for me.

So these
things are starting to pay off, and I'm really being disciplined in the
moment. I'm really listening to everything. I'm really eager, you know.
I'm really motivated to do the right things and to win a Grand Slam.

I'm really happy to be in the final, and tomorrow is another day. Hopefully I can give my best in the last match with her.

Q.
I'm sure you heard about the possibility of a lot of rain tomorrow.
Would you rather have the extra day if you push it back to Sunday?

JELENA
JANKOVIC: For me it doesn't matter. Just whenever I play, I'm going to
play. I'm going to be there. I'm going to try my best, and that's all I
care about, even if it's tomorrow or next day or in a week. I'm going
to go out there and compete.

---

Q.
What has been the difference when you've played Serena since you've
split those matches? What has been the key when you've played against
her?

JELENA JANKOVIC: What do you mean? When I have won?

Q. When you've won or when you've lost, what's been the difference?

JELENA
JANKOVIC: Overall, she's, I think, the strongest player on the tour,
together with her sister. Nobody has the power that they have.

We
cannot compare. At least I cannot compare to any of them, you know,
with their strength. They're great athletes, really. I'm a little
athlete. They move really well. They hit the ball so hard.

So
if you want to really win when they're in form, you really have to be
on the top of your level and you really have to go for every shot and
really have to run a lot.

So it will be difficult, but it's doable.

---

Q. When Novak struggles with
hostile crowds, and of course he had an issue with that last night, how
important is it for you to be loved out there on court?

JELENA
JANKOVIC: I don't know how important it is to be loved, but I'm being
myself. You know, I say everything that I feel to say, and, you know,
it comes out naturally.

So, you know, different players, you
know, they have different personalities. People may like them; some
people may not like them. Of course when you play a crowd favorite,
when you play an American here at the Open, the majority of people will
be against you, which is normal, which is understandable.

Because
if I played in Serbia, of course, the crowd would be on my side. So
when you play, for example like Djokovic played against Roddick, it
was, you know, very ‑‑ you could understand that, you know, 90% of the
crowd was for Roddick.

But, you know, then with the issue
between them, you know, with the injuries and the things they had, you
know, I cannot comment on that because it's not my thing.

I try to ‑‑ I can say what I do. I don't like to comment on other people's, you know, comments or whatever they had.

Q. Did you see the on‑court interview?

JELENA JANKOVIC: I did, and I saw that ‑‑ you know, it was ‑‑ they booed him. They didn't really appreciate what he said.

But,
you know, from my opinion, he just defended himself, because, you know,
when Roddick said that he was ‑‑ you know, he took all these timeouts
and all these injuries ‑‑ you know, in a way I didn't think it was nice
to say all of these things, even though maybe he had injuries.

Whatever
he had, I don't think it's nice to say, because you don't know for a
fact what this guy has, what kind of issues. But at the end of the day,
from my opinion, most important this is to win. This is what counts,
and this is the one who goes forward.

The one who went into the
semifinal was Djokovic. All these things that he has done or didn't do,
that doesn't matter. It's the winner that counts.

Q. What were those guys in the balcony shouting? They were for you. I mean, it was sort of like a cheering squad.

JELENA JANKOVIC: Oh, the one from upstairs?

Q. Yeah, upstairs.

JELENA
JANKOVIC: They kept saying, Jelena, we love you, and all these things,
cheering, you know, in kind of a ‑‑ I don't know, like a poem, you
know, rhyming.

---

Q. If you play Serena, the winner will
be No. 1 in the world as far as I understand. If you play Safina, even
if you lose, you are going to be No. 1 in the world. Does it make a
difference? And also, you lost to Safina three times out of four, and
you are even with Serena.

JELENA JANKOVIC: I lost to her the last two times.

Q. Yes.

JELENA JANKOVIC: I didn't lose last three.

Q. Three out of four. Three out of five.

JELENA JANKOVIC: Since when? Since when I've lost to her so many times? I don't...

---

Q. When you were at Bollettieri's, you were a little kid.

JELENA JANKOVIC: I'm still a little kid. (laughter.)

Q. Okay, kid.

JELENA JANKOVIC: For you. (laughter.) I didn't say anything in a bad way.

---

Q. You just said
you were just a little kid, and obviously you love still to joke and
have fun. So many players on the circuit start as teenagers. They're
happy, they're bubbly, but slowly they get more serious.

JELENA JANKOVIC: That's not the case with me.

Q. How important is it for you for you to have...

JELENA
JANKOVIC: It's important to be yourself and to really have fun out
there. Our life is not easy, and traveling everywhere, traveling around
the world, and really being away from your country, being away from the
family, from the people you love and from your friends, it's hard, you
know, sometimes, to take everything.

If you don't enjoy yourself,
you don't enjoy competing, you know, of course, we have a lot of
pressure, we go out there, we really try our best, we really compete at
our hardest. But when we step off the court, we're real people and
we're human beings. We try to ‑‑ at least I try to enjoy myself. I try
to laugh. I try to have a good time.

I'm young, so why not?
When am I going to have fun? When I'm ‑‑ now is the time. For example,
the driver, when he was driving me back home he told me, You know, you
made my day. You laugh a lot. All these players, you know, they
complain about traffic all the time.

And I said, you know, I
don't complain about traffic. All I want is to get home. I'm really
tired. We started making some jokes. He said, Thank you for making my
day. You really lighten up, you know, even this car.

And I
said, You know, I don't know what it is. I'm just laughing. I have a
good time. And he said, Is this because you're No. 1 or No. 2 in the
world?

And I said, No, I was laughing when I was 1,000 in the world, but maybe a little bit more now that I'm No. 1 or No. 2.

Q.
Do you think it's too bad that Novak has stopped pretty much doing
these imitations which brought so much fun to so many people?

JELENA
JANKOVIC: I don't know. That's his thing to do, you know. He loves
imitating. I don't know why he stopped it. Maybe some of the players
were complaining they didn't like, you know, his imitations. They
didn't like him, you know, maybe making fun of some other people.

In
his own individual way, in a positive way, you know, it's not ‑‑ when
you're imitating something it's just for fun. I don't think people
could get offended by that. But, you know, that's his thing. I can ask
him, you know, to keep doing it. Why you stopping? The people like it.

September 05, 2008

Q. You were talking about not being too fit coming into this
match, especially your quarters where you had 20% but you had to manage
your energy as best as you can. What was the situation today?

DINARA SAFINA: Well, I think today I was feeling ‑‑ I mean, physically I was feeling better than previous days.

This has nothing to do. But just I would say it's too bad from behaving
side from my side. Yeah, maybe today was physically and mentally 80,
but I spent 60 on being negative on the court, like shooting around and
complaining about everything instead of spending 80% totally focused on
just point by point.

And this was ‑‑ I think I was behaving
like a really spoiled girl on the court today. This I cannot permit
myself playing in semifinal of Grand Slam. So I have to really learn
from these things if I want to get better.

Q. How would you assess Serena's play today?

DINARA SAFINA: Well, I could see she was a little bit not comfortable
in the beginning of the match. I was 2‑Love up with a break, but she
behaved like a champion. Maybe some things ‑‑ she also had some wind
problems. I guess it was also bothering me. Maybe she was not feeling
100%.

But she was there and she was fighting with me, you
know. I was fighting with everything around except her. So I think this
is ‑‑ this I can learn really good from her, how to handle these
situations instead of just staying quiet and play my game.

Not Before Noon -- Reedeecooloos Rafa vs. Muscles Murray (may be moved to Armstrong)

7pm -- Saucy Serena vs. Weird Jelena Jankovic (Ashe)

All of this is, of course, weather permitting. As of 5:30pm EST today:

The current weather forecast for the USTA Billie Jean King National
Tennis Center calls for rain to begin late tonight, which will subside
in the early morning until late afternoon. Rain is then expected
throughout Saturday night.

So it looks like it's very likely that both Men's Semis could be played
at the same time in order to get playin during the dry window. That
sucks.

As for contingency plans:

Scenario I: In the event that the USTA is forced to cancel the Men’s Singles
Semifinals (Session #24) and the Women’s Singles Final (Session #25)
due to inclement weather on Saturday, Sept. 6, each session would be
rescheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., respectively. As a
result, the Men’s Singles Final (Session #26) would be rescheduled for
Monday at 5:00 p.m.

Scenario II: In the event that the USTA is forced to cancel the Saturday Night
Women’s Singles Final (Session #25) due to inclement weather, both the
Women’s and Men’s Singles Finals would be played on Sunday as two
separate sessions -- one at 4:00 p.m. and one at 9:00 p.m. The decision regarding which Final will be played at 4:00 p.m.
and 9:00 p.m. will be decided upon based on the time of completion of
the Saturday Men’s Semifinals. If the Men’s Semifinals are not
completed on Saturday, Scenario I will take effect.

Boy, the USTA really thought this one out. Can we get them to replace FEMA?

The only problem I see is that the winner of the Rafa/Murray match, which is likely to be more physical than the Nole/Roger match, could get rained out on Saturday (since it's starting later). If that happens they would have to show up on Sunday to play/finish their match, and then turn around the next day to play the final on Monday. Meanwhile, if the Fed/Nole match doesn't get rained out, those guys will have a full day and a half of rest for the final.

Much deserved, ReRe. You played within yourself under tough conditions against a tough opponent. You are THE in form player going into the final. But you'll have your work cut out for you. Because JJ will scratch, claw, and glitter her way into making it a match.

Apparently the wind was wreaking havoc on play today, but in the end it was the veteran who was able to focus, play with margin, and coast to victory, 63 62. Safina did her best but she was gassed, frustrated by the wind, and let her Safin blood take over, getting uber emotional and generally going crazy on herself. She served 6 double faults and hit 41 UFEs, which is understandable given the windy conditions. But when you're playing a focused Serena, who only hit 21 UFEs and hit 16 winners, it's not going to be enough.

Nice moment between the ladies at the net. Serena apologized for hitting Dinara, and Dinara, despite the disappointment was able to crack a nice smile full of respect. She knows she just got beat. I must say that despite Dinara's in-match craziness, she's one of the better hand-shake-at-the-netters on the women's tour. Always nice and respectful to opponents. Unless your name is Shahar Peer.

And so the battle for #1 will be a rematch of the Miami final, which Serena took in three sets. But let's not forget, the Glitter Queen drove Serena nuts in that match, where Serena had a hell of a time trying to close it out. If both play well, it should be a fun one.

Awww...she looks genuinely moved. You can see how much this meant to her. One monkey off your back, JJ. One to go.

I really never thought JJ would win in straight sets. Maybe she would win, but it would take three. But the match played out exactly as I predicted it for a JJ: Lena just straight up CHOKED. Chokementieva decided to show up and make us all forget how great her fun alter-ego Lena D. had been playing all summer. She double faulted at crucial moments and as the match went on her serve got slower, and slllooowweerr, and ssssssllllllooooooowwwwweeeeeerrrrrrr.

(Sorry, had to add this. It made me LOL)

As for JJ, seriously, all credit to her. Her defense was solid as usual and she just bullied the ball and forced Lena to go for her shots, thus resulting in 42 unforced errors. 42 UFEs in a two set match? That's some really poor executing by the Choker.

So JJ can no longer be described as a #1 who never reached a Slam final. But can she finally shake the last monkey? If Serena wins, that's doubtful.

I suppose this is the marquee matchup of the day. An in-form-like-we-haven't-seen-her-in-years Serena vs. an emotionally and physically exhausted Baby Beluga, who is still the hottest player coming into the tournament (I mean performance-wise). I don't know what Tracy Austin is smoking when she says she gives the slight edge to Serena. I don't see what weapons Dinara has that can hurt ReRe. She doesn't move as well as Serena, she doesn't hit the ball as hard, and she doesn't serve the ball as hard or accurately. Sure, Dinara beat her in Berlin, but on clay all of Serena's power is mitigated. On these hard courts, which everyone is saying plays faster than the grass at Wimbledon, there's no way Dinara can hang with her. Dinara's only chance is if Serena has a let down after her high quality and emotional win over Venus on Wednesday night. If Serena is not in top form, Dinara has a shot. Otherwise, this one will be over in two fairly easy sets.

So from two of the better servers on the tour to two women whose serves have been the biggest knock on their careers (well, and mental stability). But at the end of the day it will be the serve that is the difference between these two well-matched ladies, as Lena seems to have finally gotten that thing under control. She has served as well as I have ever seen her serve at this tournament. That should allow her to hold her games much easier than Jelena will.

As for JJ she has had yet another "huh? She made it to the semi's again? I didn't even know she was playing" tournaments. All credit to her. I didn't think she'd make it this far. But I think is, once again, the end of the road. Elena moves extremely well and hits flat, powerful groundstrokes on both sides. JJ's only chance here is if Elena chokes. I don't see that happening though because (a) as opposed to JJ Elena has actually won a Slam semifinal before and (b) theirs is the first match in the afternoon (1:30) so there will be less attention on their match, which benefits the headcasier Elena D.

So bottom line: If all four players play at their top level, expect Serena and Lena to win. But if Serena and Lena come in cold or iffy, JJ and Dinara have a very real chance to make the final. Incidentally, if JJ and Dinara make the final, regardless of the outcome JJ will regain her #1 ranking.

Ai yay ai, Nole. You should have just let it go. You won, dude. You won in fairly convincing style. You're the one who gets to keep playing, while A-Rod is out. You destroyed Andy's dream of winning a Slam this year. You fought through a stadium full of people who were cheering against you. That should have been enough for you. Smile, wave, walk off the court. But no. You decided to take on Andy and 20,000 people and just keep digging yourself a deep PR hole that'll take a while for you to climb out of, especially here in the States.

Nole came out and pretty much dominated the shaky Roddick, winning their quarterfinal matchup 62 63 36 76(5). Roddick basically spotted him two sets before he picked it up and played aggressively to take the third set. But serving for the set in the fourth at 54 30-Love, Roddick threw in two double faults, pushed a forehand wide, and then Nole converted the breakpoint with a beautiful topspin lob. He would go on to play a solid tiebreaker for the win.

“Andy was saying I have 16 injuries in last match,” Djokovic told the Arthur Ashe crowd. “Obviously I don’t.” That elicited a round of boos that Djokovic
acknowledged by saying: “Yeah, right. Like it or not, it’s like that.”

Referring to the crowd, he continued: “I know they’re already against
me because they think I’m faking everything. That’s not nice, anyhow,
to say I have 16 injuries and I’m faking it.”

And with that, Nole left the court to a chorus of boos. Not smart, kid. Those boys at IMG are going to have to sit you down YET AGAIN to tell you how to handle yourself.

After the match, Nole apologized and tried to explain himself. Something tells me the damage has already been done:

Q. Andy, I mean, based on the comments on the court, Andy
clearly upset you, angered you with some of the comments that became
public. Was that a factor? How much were you angered by those comments?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Now, look, I had a very, very tough day yesterday. Physically I was feeling very exhausted and very empty. I wasn't able to practice. One of the reasons was physically that, you
know, I was exhausted and the other reason was that I just mentally had
a lot of pressure.

Unfortunately, Andy made a statement ‑‑ I
don't think it was intentional, okay. He made a joke and it was a
misunderstanding, so I don't blame it on him. Okay. I did react on the
court. Maybe I reacted. Maybe I exaggerated and reacted bad in that
moment. No, I apologize if I reacted like that. But this was just
impulsive, you know.

I had a lot of emotions in last two days.
It's not nice when you get that from media all around the world and
from players, and I never needed to make any excuses in the press. I
just didn't need ‑‑ because I know that what I'm doing is right, that I
have all the rights to take the medical timeout, that I'm doing it just
for the purpose to make my physical condition better and just that I
continue playing better.

I never made medical timeout because I
wanted to distract the player, the opponent, or, you know, make the
result look worse, you know. And I just never did it. I didn't
pay attention when I took the medical timeout. I just didn't care about
it. Medical timeout is there because physiotherapist are there and
doctors are there to help you out. This is what I did. I just took the
medicals to help me out. Maybe the people think that I'm
exaggerating with these things, but it's just ‑‑ it's nothing bad,
nothing negative, because I just ‑‑ I twist my ankle, I feel bad, you
know. I get the pain in the back.

I just want to make it
right, you know. Andy was always nice to me when I got to the tour, so
this was just a clear misunderstanding.

Q. Have you spoken to Andy in the locker room already?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, but this is just between us.

Q. I think maybe one of the reasons you were maybe upset is he was
maybe not the only one who said that? Robredo said some things, and he
sounded serious, although thinks his English is not as good?

NOVAK
DJOKOVIC: Yeah, look, Robredo had the right to say something like that
if he lost, you know. Everybody has right to complain and right to say.
I respect everybody's thoughts and everybody's opinion.

I never
wanted to disrespect anybody. As I said, if I made ‑‑ if I exaggerated
on the court today and I made maybe a mistake saying that in front of
20,000 people, you know, in his city and his favorite tournament, okay,
I do apologize, but it was ‑‑ he was not bad intentions. So I just hope
people understand.

Q. The crowd's attitude
also strengthened you even though they were very obviously with Andy?
Did that help you coming back and putting him away in four sets?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, no, nothing against the crowd. The crowd here in
New York, at least I get that feeling, liked me last year, and really,
I had such a fun time last year. You know, reaching the finals and they
were behind me. In most of the matches I played I have not enough words
to thank them. I just don't want this to happen in a bad way.

You know, we had this connection, and this year, of course, this match,
I mean, I didn't expect the crowd would be behind me. It's obviously
that they will be for the home player and for Andy, you know. Their
biggest hope to win the US Open. This is ‑‑ this is the biggest reason.

But I just, you know, I felt bad in the end.

...

Q. You were saying you had so much pressure the last couple days. Why are you feeling so much pressure?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, the thing is that you know in the past, as well,
I got asked from the press and not just asked, I mean, the press was
the one who was, you know, saying a lot of things and maybe other
players, as well, saying their opinions about my medical timeouts, that
I was taking too much, and they don't believe that I'm injured enough.

So it was a little quiet now in last year or so, and now it's coming back again.

So it's not nice, really, when you are in the middle of something that you know that you're not doing wrong, you know?

I mean, to be honest, as I said before, it was never my intention to
distract anybody. It was just doing for my own good, so press is a part
of my life, and I mean, I always try to be nice to everybody, and I
never been in any misunderstandings or any fights with any of the other
players.

I would never disrespect anybody, and this is just ‑‑ it's not, you know, a way...

Q. So you feel like you deserve more respect for the person and player you were?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Look, I just ‑‑ I just think that this should be reduced. That's all.

I mean, I'm not asking for it, you know ‑‑ you guys do whatever you
need to do. You do whatever you feel you need to do. But it's just that
I don't want to make excuses, you know. There is a lot of players, you
know, they come and they make excuses. I'm not one of them. I don't
need to make excuses, you know, why is my leg injured, why is my back
injured. It's not me.

Q. We can be surprised
by your way of playing. One day you're limping, the other you are not
limping. So can you understand that?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, I
can't understand that. The thing is you don't understand that in the
middle of the match, you are trying to get yourself the best as
possible. It doesn't mean that if I'm inviting a doctor to the court or
physio that I'm dying, you know?

I'm having a problem, with
the ankle, okay. I felt the pain in that certain moment, and I just
want to make sure that everything is all right. That's all.

I mean, and then the big story comes out of it, and then suddenly I'm a bad guy, you know.

I know, I know, I'm a Nole apologist. I just feel bad for the kid. He screwed up here royally. But you can tell from his presser that he's genuinely disappointed that it's come to this. He doesn't want to be that guy and he's confused and perplexed as to how he did. Seriously, watch his presser. You can see how contrite he is. The kid just needs to suck it up, play his game, and lay low for awhile.

As for Andy, I wish he would have taken the high road in his presser. It sounds like the two of them talked and had smoothed it out. But Andy couldn't help but continue to needle Nole:

Q. You've clearly ticked him off with comments about SARS and
bird flu and everything. He took himself to bring it up in front of a
stadium that booed him loudly and even Michael tried to steer it and he
just kept it going. Is that a bad call on his part?

ANDY
RODDICK: Well, I mean, listen, here's the deal: I mean, if you guys
haven't ever seen me joke in a press conference, I'd be shocked, okay?

I think you guys know it was completely meant in jest. Listen, I had
four questions from each one, I had eight questions about all the other
ones. Finally after 12 questions I decided to make light of the
situation and it actually stopped after that. Or it screwed me up and
you guys got me out of it.

I'm willing to talk about it. I
don't know if, you know ‑‑ he took it as seriously. I figure if you're
going to joke and imitate other people and do the whole deal, then you
should take it. Listen, if someone makes fun of me I'm most likely
going to laugh. If I'm over the line I'm going to come in here and say
I was ridiculous. And I was wrong. I've been the worst of it in the
past. By no means am I sitting here trying to be holier than thou or
anything like that. But I promise you that if somebody makes a joke
about it I'll probably laugh.

I'm sorry he took it that way.
There's nothing else to say. I don't think I was over the line. It
wasn't my intention, and, you know, I'm sorry he felt that way. Maybe I
did him a favor tonight.

Q. It was our
comments back and forth, and to be honest with you, today I heard from
five or six or seven people, I heard it on ESPN, I heard it on USA,
those types of things have legs, whether you like it...

ANDY RODDICK: I should know better, but listen, I joke all the time. I
don't think anybody in their right mind takes me serious. I think it's
very clear when I give a serious answer and when I don't give a serious
answer.

Maybe that part ‑‑ maybe I should know better, you know,
but in my eyes it's an innocent comment. I felt that most people found
it funny and I tried to build it up ‑‑ if you look at the transcript,
I'm saying, I'm 3, he's 8. It's straightforward. I'm trying to build it
up as like I'm the favorite. I said listen, if you want to go last 10
days or go the last 10 months, he's been the best hardcourt player. I'm
throwing truthful things the whole time. If someone wants to focus in
on that and use it, then by all means, but especially in Novak's case,
if you're going to dish out all the stuff, then be able to take it with
a smile, is the only part that I don't quite agree with.

I'm not saying Andy's wrong. I'm just saying I wish he would have just left it at "I was joking, he clearly took it seriously, and if he did then that's unfortunate", instead of carrying on with the "if dishes it, he has to take it" rubbish.

Lost in all this hoopla is Andy's performance here. He had a solid tournament given his horrible form coming into it, but despite his protestations to the opposite, I cannot think that he can be satisfied with a run to the quarterfinals at the US Open. Was it worth skipping the Olympics, Captain America? That's a question everyone will be asking.

September 04, 2008

Crazy Fed is at it again. But this time he brings along his new and awkward friend, Shirtless-Pensive-Staring-At-A-Towel Fed:The sight of Crazy Fed and Farmer Tan Fed left the poor Luxembourgian Muller vanquished and defeated:The poor guy never had a chance.

Just kidding. Muller may have lost in straight sets to Fed but boy did he hang tough, pushing Fed to two tie breakers (Fed won 76 64 76). All credit to Muller on the outstanding tournament he had. Let's not forget, this is the guy who beat A-Rod in the first round in 2005, the famous "Mojo" year (referring of course to American Express' failed "Where's Andy's Mojo" campaign). So the kid has game. But no one figured he had THIS much game.

Congratulations to Crazy Fed. He is now into his 18th STRAIGHT semifinal at a Slam. Think about that. That's over the span of four years. Mighty impressive stuff.

"Power Serve. I give it my all, so milk's the perfect
match for me. Milk is a great choice after exercise, with protein to
help build muscle and a unique mix of nutrients to refuel. So train
hard and drink lowfat or fat free milk. That's what I call a nice
return."

Earnest and dorky, just like we like her. Though, I cannot think of
anything grosser than downing a glass of milk after a two hour tennis
match in the hot and humid NYC sun. Just sayin'.

But why didn't the milk campaigners take a new picture of her? That one's like, two years old at this point (though it's one of my favorite pics of her). As a result they had to photoshop her racquet, since she was sponsored by Wilson at the time. They also photoshopped the mustache on.

You know those horny photoshoppers had some fun while they were at it. The "outtakes" are NC-17 I'm sure.

September 03, 2008

The Sockless Wonder came out firing and reminded us all of the form he showed against Roger at Indian Wells. He was serving huge, volleying well, and basically taking it to Rafa. But let's face it. You knew it couldn't last because (1) Mardy got a haircut and a shave, breaking the long standing tradition of athlete's not changing anything when they're on a win streak, (2) Boyd Tinsley, the violinist for Dave Matthews Band, was in his box cheering him on, meaning he's inherently lame, and (3) dude wears no-show socks, which speak for themselves.

This is why I think Rafa, Roger, and Nole are so above the rest of the field. Because you may beat them 2 out of 3 at a tour event. But taking three sets from them? That is a very tall task and these three just find a way to figure it out and gut it out. And against the field, with the exception of a few players (namely Murray, Roddick), no one can stay with them for five sets and no one scares those three to the point that they drop their level and lose.

And that's what happened here. Mardy was out of this world in the first set. And then he came crashing down, dumping easy volleys into the net, whacking groundstrokes 2-3 feet long, and missing first serves at an alarming rate. And Rafa, the bull that he is, was relentless. Is there nothing more inevitable than seeing Rafa sprint across the court to hit a blind cross-court passing shot? Amazing.

So Rafa advances, though he didn't finish until 2:30am. But again, just like Muzzah he'll have time to rest as they won't play their semi until Saturday afternoon. So get some rest, Rafa.

Oh, and with the win, Rafa joins the elite group of players to reach at least the semifinals of every Grand Slam in a calendar year. Boy, the kid just keeps checking off boxes on his to do list, doesn't he?

Not only did Serena channel the the Glitter Queen with the splits, she also channeled her game. Serena was on the ropes against her big sister, facing multiple set points in each set. But she scrambled like heck, won the big points when it counted, and somehow escaped with the win.

Boy, these Sister matches aren't all that exciting from a cheering fan perspective, but they have become ridiculous displays of remarkable women's tennis. Power hitting, big serving, speedy scrambling, and clutch volleying. They are simply a joy to watch if you're a tennis fan.

At this point, Serena and Venus have to be able to look at each other just shrug. Serena should have won at Wimbledon and Venus should have won here (she had 10 set points in the match!) given their respective levels of play. I have very little doubt that Serena is going to take this title (there, I jinxed her). So what's nice, at least from a fan's perspective, is that both Serena and Venus had to go through each other to win their titles. Something about that seems very just to me.

It's a shame Venus had to go out at this stage, especially when she's trying to get her ranking up. She'll actually lose points here because she made the semifinals last year. She was playing so well and had she been put on the other side of the draw, she would have at least made the semis, possibly the final. But I guess that's how the Oreo cookie crumbles.

So we have some juicy semifinals now set: Dinara vs. Serena and Elena vs. JJ. I'm still going to predict a Serena/Elena final with the winner to become the new #1. That's a lot of marbles, people. A lot.

Awww...I've always wondered what it would look like if a ferret and elf got it on. Now I kinda know. It's very cute. And kinda hairy.

What a match. These two were warriors out there tonight. Though Andy eventually prevailed, 76(2), 76(1), 46, 75, there was much respect shown at the net after the match. And thus ends Mamagate 2008. Good for those boys for battling hard and letting the quality tennis and sportsmanship shine through on center court. Arthur Ashe would be proud.

So Muzzah is now into his first Slam semifinal. Nice to see that his early round exit in Beijing was just a blip in his otherwise fantastic second half of the season. As I've said before, the men's game needs him as a #4 seed to balance out the Slam draws. It's also nice to see a counterpuncher in the mix.

But counterpunching ain't an easy game to play: Andy looked absolutely tanked after the match. Luckily for him he'll have two days to recover. The Men's semifnals aren't until Saturday. Here's hoping Rafa takes out the Sockless Wonder tonight. A Rafa/Muzzah semifinal is exactly what we need.

Thanks to Peter Bodo for getting the story from the horse's (Larry Scott, CEO of the WTA) mouth.

Salient details:

On Prize Money: "Prize money on the tour is going up substantially from a little
bit over $71 million this year to over $85 million next year. To put
that in perspective from 2006 to 2009, that will represent a 40% prize
money increase for the players."

On How You Qualify for the Second YEC in Bali: "If you play in
Doha, that's your end of year season Championship. But if you didn't
qualify for Doha and you won one of those international tournaments
during the year, we'll hopefully see those players in Bali."

On Revised Rankings and "Zero Pointers": "So the rankings will consist of 16 results on a player's ranking,
down from 17 today. But the player's ranking will be made up more
significantly by their results at these biggest tournaments that they
have to play. So if players don't play the big events, there will be zero pointers.
The results will not be able to be dropped or replaced by smaller
tournaments. So it's a bit of a shift towards the big events in terms
of what's going to make up the player's ranking while still trying to
balance rewarding those players that are supporting the system more
than others."

On Equal Prize Money: "We'll also see equal prize money at a record number of tournaments next
year. We're up to 10 tournaments that will have equal prize money. It
was only two short years ago that there were only two tournaments in
the world that paid equal prize money: The US Open and the Australian
Open."

On Revenue Sharing: "I think women's tennis will become the first sport, the first
individual sport ever, to have a revenue sharing agreement between our
tournament promoters on the one hand and the players on another hand. What this means, is that our prize money minimums are set for 2009
and 2010. But come 2011, any prize money increases will be determined
based on the financial performance of the tournaments. So for the first
time we're going to have outside auditors that are going to go in and
audit the books of the tournaments, and we're going to have a much
deeper knowledge than we've ever had before about how the business of
running our tournaments has gone. So this is something that took an awfully long time to develop, but
I'm really thrilled we'll get out of the sort of random prize money
negotiations between our players and tournaments, and finally have a
formula that ties together the economic interests of our players and
tournaments."

On Suspensions: "If [a player doesn't] meet one of their commitments, they'll have an
opportunity to sort of make up that commitment by showing up to the
tournament or going to the tournament market the week of that
tournament, or another time during the year, to show their commitment
to that event to mitigate the fact that they couldn't play... If they don't do that, then they will be suspended for
up to two premier tournaments after that tournament the following year.

On Venus, Serena, and Indian Wells: "They both said they're not planning on playing
Indian Wells, so they will be subject to the same rules as every other
player, which means that to avoid suspension they will have to be
available to do in market appearances, promotional activities as
designated by the tour in consultation with the tournament, either
during the week of the tournament or at three other possible times
during the year that we will designate.

Well there you go. Revenue sharing, equal prize money, increased prize money, and revised rankings system are all great and the WTA should really be lauded for it. I'm still worried about the whole, suspension, zero points, Indian Wells topics. Not sure how all that is going to operate/shake out.

Baby Beluga had an easy win over Flavia today, winning 2 and 3. Hopefully she can rest up for Friday where she'll face one of the Williamses. Thanksfully for Dinara fans, she's feeling a lot better than she was a few days ago:

Q. Do you feel mentally fresh now? Are you able to put aside being tired?

DINARA
SAFINA: Honestly, yes, I feel really like ‑‑ already yesterday I was
practicing, and I had already a smile on the face. I was like, Okay,
now I can play and move.

I think it was ‑‑ sometimes it comes this moment in the body that ‑‑ especially I had like tough match against Bacsinszky.

Next
day I had day off, and then to play again I was ‑‑ because it was not
easy matches. It was like more mentally that I had to pull the match
again being down.

Then with Ahn it was not easy to come back.
Then yesterday it was okay. I had to do what I had to do. I pulled
these two matches, so now I can get only better so that slowly I'm
getting back.

Dinara still looks gassed, but luckily she didn't cry before this match to her coach. Progress!

The WTA has officially announced its 2009 Calendar. But more importantly, they've finally announced the major schedule reforms that will be implemented next year.

Here are the highlights:

Longer Off-Season -- Increased from 7 to 9 weeks, with the season now ending at the end of October (as opposed to November)

Longer Mid-Season Break -- Three week break post-Wimbledon

Reduced Number of Tier I and II Events -- 20 Tier I/II events, as opposed to 26.

More Combined Events With Equal Prize Money -- 4 Premier, mandatory events at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Beijing, which will see both the men and the women compete (prior to this only Indian Wells and Miami were combined events and only Miami was mandatory). In addition to those four, 13 other tournaments will be combined (Sydney, Moscow, Eastbourne, New Haven, Brisbane, 's-Hertogenbosch,
Estoril, Memphis and Acapulco, along with the four Grand Slams). Starting in 2011, Rome Cincinnati and Canada will also be combined events.

New Second Tier Year End Championship -- Introducing the Commonwealth Bank International Tournament of Champions, which will serve as the season-ending championships for players who finish the Race at #9-16.

Player Commitment Reduced for Top Players -- Top Players must compete in 10 tournaments as opposed to 13.

Increased Investment In New Facilities -- $710M earmarked for new stadium facility investments, including in China and Madrid.

New Ranking System -- Best 16 results counted and more direct linkage with the Tour's top events. Zero points will be awarded for any missed Premier committed tournament, Grand Slam, or YECs.

Stronger Penalties -- Suspension system for Top 10 players who miss any Premier commitment tournaments and increased withdrawal fines.

Permanent On Court Coaching at All Events -- Under the new rule, players can
request their coach once per set, either on a changeover or at the end
of a set. In addition, a player may request her coach if her opponent
has requested a medical timeout or change of attire/toilet break. All
coaches called on court during televised matches will be required to
wear a microphone to capture the coaching conversation for TV viewers.

Well, there's a lot to digest there.

First, I'm very surprised the WTA decided to go forward with on-court coaching. I'm not against it per se, I just always got the sense that fans didn't really like it. But the few times that I've been able to actually hear the on-court coaching I have to say that it has been tremendously insightful. If you get the chance, go to Ana Ivanovic's site and download her match against Razzano in Sydney this year. Really interesting interaction between her and Sven caught between the second and third set. But what's the use for international players who speak in Russian, Spanish, French, etc. Is it going to be like boxing where ESPN has a translator on hand to give us a voiceover?

Second, I'm all for the longer off-season and the longer mid-season break. But didn't the top players do that anyway? They just skipped tournaments in order to rest. It is insane to me to think that tennis only has a nine week off-season. That's shorter than baseball! No wonder players have had to fiddle with their schedules to maintain their physical conditioning throughout the year. I'm not entirely convinced that "giving" the players more vacation time is going fix anything though.

Third, I am generally ALL for the reduced number of events and increased number of combined events (makes my life easier as blogger that's for darn sure). But does this mean that the WTA players will never have their own showcase? That the top players will constantly have to share the stage with the men? That their matches will continue to be moved around in order to fit the whims of the men's organizers? That would be a darn shame. But then again, if it brings more exposure to the WTA, how can we really complain? It would also, presumably, bring better TV coverage.

Finally, I'm very curious about the specifics of the "stronger penalties". How does it work with injury? Are you really going to suspend a player for withdrawing because of a legitimate injury? That is pretty shocking to me. For example, Masha has obviously had to withdraw from every committed tournament after Montreal. What does that mean for her? Is it up to the WTA to be the arbiter of what is "real" injury and what is not? "Maria, your shoulder is torn up so we'll let you off the hook. But Jelena, suck it up, it's just a torn meniscus." Does that seem right?

I'll be very curious to hear what the top players' reactions to this are. Of course, the big showdown will come in March 2009, when the Williams Sisters remind Larry Scott where he can stick his mandatory calendar. They've repeatedly said they will not play at Indian Wells, and the tournament's schedule isn't going to change that. I presume that this means they will be fined a hefty amount and suspended from at least Miami. But is the WTA really going to suspend (a) one of the biggest revenue draws to US tournaments on the women's side and (b) the defending Miami champion? There is NO way the WTA comes out of that one unscathed.

These changes are all well and good, but the most exciting part of
the WTA map — for the casual fan — is a significant alteration of a
ranking system that can only be described as byzantine. This is a
system that rewards quantity over quality, one in which a player can
fail to win a Grand Slam event, fail to even reach a Grand Slam final,
and still end up as the world’s No. 1 player.

Is Jelena Jankovic really the No. 2 player in the world?

The
new WTA map puts a premium on quality by forcing the top 10 players to
face each other with a mandatory commitment for the top players to meet
in 10 tournaments.

Tennis fan have been anesthetized to caring about who legitimately is No. 1 because the process has been so murky.

And
while we debate the morality of investing too much energy in being No.
1, the reality is that we want to know who is No. 1 — who is the best
player. Tennis does not give us a clear picture. This road map creates
a more stable system.

Some critics say the new plan is aimed at
the Williams sisters, who famously throughout their careers have chosen
not to cram too many tournaments into their schedule. Their scheduling
has been part of a philosophy that leaves time for outside interests.
Tennis has too often been distinguished by young players who burn
themselves out.

At the other extreme from the Williamses, some players compete in a high volume of tournaments and achieve a high ranking.

In some ways, the WTA’s road map validates the Williamses’ approach to quality over quantity.

This new system also potentially creates a stronger product for the tournament directors.

In a statement, Venus Williams,
a member of the players council, called the changes “a great example of
players and tournaments working together to make our sport better for
fans, better for players and better for tournaments.”

There are
stiff fines and suspensions for pulling out of tournaments. There are
provisions for players who cannot — or for some reason, refuse — to
play in a tournament.

This aspect can, in fact, be attributed
to the Williams sisters, who refuse to play at Indian Wells, Calif.,
one of the mandatory tournaments. Their snub of the tournament stems
from a 2001 incident in which Venus withdrew with an injury, and both
women were booed and heckled by fans.

In such circumstances,
players will be able to make appearances and conduct clinics in the
area of a tournament to fulfill their commitment. The WTA could not,
however, completely turn its back on players who decide to compete in
smaller events.

“You want to reward players who put themselves out there by playing extra tournaments, that helps build the sport,” Scott said.

But
too many players have used smaller tournaments to make up for poor
results against top competition. This new road map hopefully —
thankfully — puts an end to fattening résumés.

“We want to
reward the difficulty factor,” Scott said. “We want our best players
meeting on the biggest stage as often as possible.”

So Tarpishev is relying on a slumping Sveta and an injured Bepa to beat the wily Spaniards on Spanish clay. Clearly Tarpy would have nominated Masha, Dinara, and Lena D., but obviously Masha is off the table and from what Dinara's saying, she wants nothing to do with Fed Cup right now. Too tired and she didn't have that great of a showing in Israel. As for Lena, I guess they want her focusing on the Open right now? Seems really weird to me.

It's a darn shame. Especially compared to the team Russia fielded at the start of the year: Masha, Dinara, A Chak, Vesnina.

I don't know. I smell a Spanish upset. Sveta will have to sweep her ties, Bepa will have to win at least one, and Vesnina/Makarova will have to win their doubles match (unless Bepa pulls of the remarkable and wins both her matches).

The Fed Cup Final will be played September 13-14. Further complicating matters is the fact that the Pan Pacific Open starts September 16 in Tokyo.